The first rays of sunlight cast a magical light over the mountains, untouched snow generously covering their peaks and slopes. When the day is still young and no sound can be heard far and wide, it’s a wonderful time for skiing.
What could be better than making the first tracks in the freshly fallen snow early in the morning while other skiers are still sound asleep?

Saas-Fee is a charming traditional mountain village in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. This car-free village lies on a high plateau 1800 meters above sea level, nestling amongst the icy dome of the Allalinhorn and the rocky group of the Mischabel chain. The ski resort is based at the foot of the Dom, which although not as internationally well known as the Matterhorn, is in fact Switzerland's highest mountain, and one of thirteen 4,000 meter (13,120 feet) plus peaks surrounding the village.

Sunday, February 26, 2017

Today, Mikaela Shiffrin takes her first win ever in the discipline with a total time of 2:07.16.Shiffrin powered down the slalom run, making up time after her seventh-place super-G run in the morning. Her quick slalom run put her 0.70 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Federica Brignone of Italy and 0.85 seconds ahead of third-place finisher Ilka Stuhec of Slovenia in the final Alpine Combined of the season.

"It feels great", the American shared. "I was really psyched with my Super-G this morning. I took a really big step forward from yesterday, and I was happy with that. Of course, the slalom was great. I mean I made a little mistake at the top, but I was attacking, so I don’t think it cost too much. I’m happy to go into the U.S. races with the overall lead".

Second on Sunday’s podium was Federica Brignone, who ends the season in second place in the discipline standings in part thanks to her victory on Friday. The win gave her the motivation she needed to podium again on the challenging Mont Lachaux slope.

"That slalom gave me a really a good confidence, but I wanted to do it more and again today because it was not easy", Brignone said. "The slalom is really tough and yeah, I wanted to do it again. I’m really happy".

The Italian seems to have found her rhythm in slalom, and she has some guesses as to why it’s all coming together–and it wasn’t the snow.

"Actually, normally I love the ice, so I really don’t know in slalom", she said. "I’m feeling good, and I like this slope and the track and how it was set, so I think that’s all and I’m in shape".With her third-place result, Stuhec was able to secure the discipline globe, the first of her career, which the Slovenian called “amazing.”

"I can’t believe it really because it’s something I’ve always dreamed of and now that it’s hear it’s just, ‘Woah", she said.

The last regular speed week-end came to an end today at Kvitfjell (NOR), with the Super-G on the Olympiabakken course. Three experienced skiers took the spots on the podium, with Peter Fill earning the win, ahead of Hannes Reichelt and Erik Guay.
With 34 years and a very prolific career including a Kitzbuehel win and a crystal globe in downhill, Italy’s Peter Fill finally claimed his first win in his other strong discipline, the Super-G. This performance reflects his very good and constant season, that could end with another cup standings win if he makes up the 33 points that separate him from Jansrud in the downhill ranking.

"It was a long wait for me to get the first Super-G win, but I'm really happy. I made a great run, no mistakes and everywhere a good line and good speed. It was perfect for me today. The whole form for the season was good, but now, in the first downhill here in Kvitfjell, I was really bad, no speed and a lot of mistakes but yesterday and today was great. I hope now to bring my performance to Aspen. It's a really important race there".
The second place went to Austria’s Hannes Reichelt, also an experienced athlete on the World Cup Tour, as the Super-G World Champion from Vail / Beaver Creek 2015 just grabbed his 40th career podium.
"I think I had a lot of luck with the sun. The first start numbers had the bad light and I think after ten or something then weather was changing and we had some sun. That was luck, good that I had luck because two days ago I had some wind and that was the reason why I wasn't so fast in downhill. The second key was skiing aggressive, especially in parts where I did a good line. On the start I was saying, 'Ok, just ski like I inspect.' I had done my inspection and didn't hear too much on the radio, that was the key".
The current World Champion of the discipline also managed to climb on the podium and took third place today in Kvitfjell.
"It's been great, you know. It's been a good weekend, fourth and sixth in the downhill, but it's always fun to leave a race series with a bit of hardware. I'm happy with the way I skied today and I'm excited to get back home to my girls. I don't feel particularly old; I think that things are going better now. I'm happy physically and technically and I'll keep charging. I think I keep improving like a fine wine".

The battle for the Super-G crystal globe is now over, as local Kjetil Jansrud was able to secure the globe thanks to his 7th place. His three consecutive wins at the beginning of the season in Val d’Isère, Val Gardena and Santa Caterina were decisive for Jansrud. Whatever happens in the last race in Aspen, Jansrud will collect his third career crystal globe, after he claimed both the downhill and super-g globe in 2015/16.

The Swatch Freeride World Tour is about to enter a critical phase as athletes seize their last opportunity to score enough points to advance beyond the qualification cuts at the upcoming Fieberbrunn stop. The Austrian ski resort is hosting fifty-one freeriders, including former Austrian FWT snowboarder Flo Orley, and Japanese ski men wild card holder Taisuke Kusunoki.
After the Fieberbrunn event, a cut is made based on the competitors’ best two results of the 2017 season, reducing the field of fifty-one riders to just to twelve ski men, six ski women, six snowboard men, and four snowboard women. These twenty-eight riders will qualify for the two remaining 2017 FWT events in Haines, Alaska and Verbier, Switzerland in addition to the upcoming 2018 FWT season.

Event organizers are aiming to hold the competition on the venue known as the Wildseeloder face, which at 2,118m offers 600 vertical meters of varied freeride terrain. The target date for the competition is March 6th; however the allotted weather window extends from March 6th-11th should snow or safety decisions require a shift in the competition date.

SWATCH FREERIDE WORLD TOUR FIEBERBRUNN KITZBÜHELER ALPEN

Date: March 6, 2017; Location: Fieberbrunn Kitzbüheler Alpen, AUT

The Swatch Freeride World Tour (FWT) is the premier big mountain freeskiing and snowboarding tour in the world, featuring the sport’s top athletes competing in the world’s best mountain resorts. Created in 2008, the FWT became even more global in 2012 following the union of North American-based Freeskiing World Tour, The North Face Masters of Snowboarding, and the European-based Swatch Freeride World Tour. Besides the successful implementation of this truly global FWT, the increase of Freeride World Qualifier (FWQ) and Junior Freeride Tour events in recent years shows that the base of the sport is growing exponentially.
The FWT represents top-level big mountain riding, the most progressive and pure discipline of skiing and snowboarding. Riders use the entire mountain as their canvas, from cliffs, cornices and chutes to powder fields and trees. FWT events have invitation-only athlete rosters but the full FWQ series allows athletes to compete in 1 to 4-star level events and qualify for the FWT the following season. All FWT competition venues are handpicked for their terrain, as well as their steepness, and offer a wide range of options to those competing.

Saturday, February 25, 2017

Kjetil Jansrud’s domination in this year’s speed events continues and claimed the top step on the podium today in Kvitfjell. He crossed the finish line 0.08 seconds ahead of Peter Fill and 0.14 ahead of Beat Feuz.
There have been many Norwegian wins in Kvitfjell in the past years, seven in the past six years to be precise, but none of them was on the original Downhill Saturday since Lasse Kjus’ win in 1997. After taking over the red leader bib of the discipline yesterday thanks to his third place, local hero Kjetil Jansrud proved to be in an excellent shape and was unbeatable on the Olympiabakken track today.

"I know this hill very well. It's not just home because it's in Norway, it's home because I grew up here so it's a big thing and I think the last time (a Norwegian) won on a Saturday here was Lasse (Kjus) twenty years ago, so this is a big Norwegian day. It's amazing and probably one of my biggest wins. I even won my first World Cup race here so there are a lot of good memories in Kvitfjell. Magnificent day and also grabbing a bigger lead in the red jersey, thirty three points means that if Fill wins in Aspen and I'm third then it's all gone, so it it's going to be exciting".
Jansrud’s main only contender for the downhill globe ranked second today, only +0.08 off the pace. It’s Italy’s Peter Fill, winner of the 2015/16 discipline ranking. Very constant with three second place and one third place this season, the South Tyrolean is ready for the final decision in Aspen.

"Yesterday I made a big mistake and lost the speed on the top and then it was difficult to go fast but today was a good run and all together everything worked good and I'm really happy with my second place. Now I am close to Jansrud for the big fight for the globe in Aspen. I have only one goal: to beat him there so let us see what's going to happen. I know what I need to do, full attack and when I have luck, maybe I can re-win the globe".
In third place, the World Champion from St. Moritz could lay down a strong run and grab his second podium of the regular World Cup season. The Swiss ski talent is too far back to claim the downhill globe (168 points with one race to go), but his performance could be decisive in the tight battle between Jansrud and Fill. Whatever happens in Aspen, Feuz can look back on another very successful season.
"We started from the very top today, this is definitively an advantage for me. Unfortunately I was not very good in the lower part and made a mistake in the last section, but in general it was a very good run. It has been a great season for me, especially the World Champion title in front of my home crowd was amazing, I had some struggles early season in the World Cup, but then with the podium in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, and now also in Kvitfjell, I’m satisfied of my season”.

After winning the Downhill Race at the 2017 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in St. Moritz and a second place yesterday in the Alpine Combined, Slovenia’s Ilka Stuhec was able make the most of bib 5 to take her second career World Cup super-G win with a final time of 1:21.78.
Italy’s Elena Curtoni was the only athlete able to get within a second of the Slovenian, coming in second place just 0.50 seconds off the pace. Austria’s Stephanie Venier charged to a third-place result, 1.09 seconds away from the win.
Ilka Stuhec, who won the Super-G portion of Friday’s Alpine Combined, knew she could ski fast on the slope and in the warm conditions.

"The set was a bit turnier I would say", she explained. "The speed was lower, so I guess they tried to make it a bit safer, but there was still some key points where you had to do what you had to do to maintain the speed and to carry it all the way down. I guess I did that pretty well".
Stuhec is the first Slovenian woman to win multiple World Cup super-G races, and this victory puts her 100 points closer to the super-G title. She claim her 6th World Cup victory today.
Elena Curtoni was also able to ski tactically to earn her best-ever World Cup result. It was made extra special by the fact that her parents were in the audience.

"It’s always fun to have family", she shared. "I mean you can share a good moment with them. I know that even if they are not on the slope, or the finish area, they are always with me".
While other athletes struggled slightly with the course conditions, Curtoni said she enjoys the warm days.

"Snow is pretty challenging", the Italian said. "It’s slidy and salty, but I like this kind of snow and these conditions. I always felt good on it, so I’m okay".
For Stephanie Venier, she was happy to be back on the podium for the second time in her career.

"I’m happy with the result, but I think my run was not so good", she confessed. "I made too many mistakes, but I’m happy with the podium today".

Friday, February 24, 2017

Today, Federica Brignone of Italy took the first victory of the 3-day weekend in Crans Montana, Switzerland, dominating the alpine combined with a total time of 1:56.09. She was joined on the podium by Ilka Stuhec of Slovenia in second and Michaela Kirchgasser of Austria in third. Both athletes were more than a second off the winning pace.After several forerunners including Olympian Julia Mancuso crashed, the race began with the first three athletes–Stuhec, France’s Tessa Worley and Switzerland’s Denise Feieraband–all skiing out.The jury decided to lower the super-G run to the reserve start and restart the field from the beginning.

At 11:30 am, the race began again at the lower start. Stuhec ran with bib 1 and this time, she charged down the super-G course to take the lead, overcoming nerves from her first go-around at the course. The Slovenian found herself 0.52 seconds ahead of Brignone and 0.69 seconds ahead of Kirchgasser, heading into the slalom portion of the day.

In the slalom, Kirchgasser was the first of the trio to see the green light at the finish. But Brignone produced an impeccable slalom run (third fastest) to surpass the Austrian. Stuhec did her best to make it down the slalom set, but she ultimately finished in second place, 1.01 seconds from Brignone. Kirchgasser rounded out the podium 1.16 seconds back. Federica Brignone, who had never podiumed in an alpine combined before, surprised herself with the win."I was really surprised", the Italian said. "It was not easy. The slalom was really steep and bumpy, but I just tried to attack the slalom and not be attacked from the slalom. I tried to follow the rhythm and stay on the line, but then I didn’t think I would be fast, but then I was".Current alpine combined standings leader Stuhec said it's still too early to talk about the season title."I’m feeling a bit tired actually. It’s been quite a long day, but it’s always nice to stand on the podium. We still have one more race to go, and then we can talk about the globe".

Just 0.17 seconds behind Stuhec was Kirchgasser, repeating her performance from World Championships in St. Moritz. This marked the Austrian’s seventh career World Cup podium in the discipline.

"It’s pretty cool because…between speed skiing and technical skiing, it’s really awesome because you really have to change all of it between runs", Kirchgasser said. "You have to change not only just the skis, but also have to change the boots and also the skiing".

After the World Championships in St. Moritz, the men’s World Cup Tour moved North to Kvitfjell (NOR) for the two downhills and a super-g. Today Friday 24th of February, was the day of the replacement race from Lake Louise (CAN), and the first of two downhills took place on the Olympiabakken.
It was an historical day for Slovenia, as Bostjan Kline took home his first ever World Cup win. The 26 years old racer from Maribor showed great performances last year, with two second places, and he definitely was on the “one-to-watch” list. However, Kline had some struggles to be claim top positions this season, so this win comes as a relief for him and the Slovenian team.
"It feels good. The whole season I knew that I can ski good, that I can ski fast. You know, I just had to be patient and today, everything came together with the skiing, the start routine, warmup and everything. It was ups and downs during this season. Hot and cold. There were things that were really good but I had some mistakes in my runs but now it was good".
Friday’s result is Mayer’s second World Cup podium since the 2014 Olympic downhill champion broke his back at last season’s Val Gardena downhill. Mayer also won the Kitzbuehel super-G in January.
"I really needed the time in downhill to give everything, to risk everything. If you don't do that, you can't be on the podium. I'm very happy about my run today because it feels great to be back with these guys, to be one of the fastest here".
Local hero Kjetil Jansrud was weakened by a bronchitis at the World Championships two weeks ago, but he came back in a great shape, claiming third place and taking over the red bib of the downhill standings leader.
"It felt good. It's home field advantage so you kind of wanna win, but today was a tight race and third place is good and that makes it even better when you look at the overall (downhill title) and I grab the red jersey back, which is always a good thing even though it's still very tight between Fill and I, it's a good start to the week. I feel much better, the biggest thing is I had bronchitis in the World Champs. Now that's way better, now I don't have any problems".

Thursday, February 23, 2017

This weekend Crans Montanaand Kvitfjell will host the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup.
Ladies Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup moves to Crans Montana for the World Cup Super-G and two Alpine Combined Events. Located on a sunny plateau at 1,500 m above the Rhone Valley, Crans Montana offers visitors an outstand- ing Alpine panorama over the most beautiful peaks in the Alps, such as the Matterhorn and Mont Blanc. The ski domain of Crans Montana (1500-3000) allows skiers and snowboarders to enjoy snow thanks to 30 lifts and 140 km of pistes (53.2 blue, 70 red and 16.8 black) including the mythical Plaine Morte and the National. The Piste Nationale downhill course was remodelled on 2006/07 and two tunnels added to improve access during competitions.

Men Audi FISAlpine Ski World Cup Races, two downhills, one of which is the replacement for the event cancelled in Lake Louise, and a Super-G to close out the program on Sunday. will take place in Kvitfjell on the Olympic Downhill and Super-G courses. The resort was developed for the 1994 Winter Olympic Games held in Lillehammer.Kvitfjell is a ski resort in the municipality of Ringebu, Norway. Kvitfjell was built for the 1994 Lillehammer Olympic Winter Games, and it is probably best known for hosting the alpine speed events (Downhill and SG). The technical alpine events of the Olympics (Giant Slalom and Slalom) were held at Hafjell. Since Lillehammer Olympic Winter Games, it has become one of the best and most modern ski resorts in Northern Europe. Kvitfjell is located just 2.5 hours north of the Oslo Airport. The ski are offers 25 kilometres of slopes with a vertical drop of 854 metres (from the top at 1039 m to 185 m above sea level) served by 9 lifts: 3 chairlifts, 3 T-Bar lifts, 2 telescopic lifts and 1 belt lift. You can find a piste for everyone with 7 green, 5 blue, 6 red and 3 black with a longest run of 3,500 m with 85% of the alpine skiing pistes covered in artificial snow.

On March 11th, 2017 the 14th annual Glacier Downhill Bike Race will be held in Saas-Fee. This is no usual ride over hill and dale. Rather this race goes over ice and snow down to the glacier village. The riders will start en mass at 3’500m. During the first half of the race, enthralling fights are guaranteed to ensue for the lead position. It’s a race without spikes and of high velocity, with riders reaching speeds of 144 km/h.
The mass start is on the Mittelallalin station at an altitude of 3’500m and goes down over the snowy and icy slopes to the glacier village at 1’800m. They will start in different blocks. The starting block allocation is made based on the ranking point of the prevoius years.
The riders have to manage 1’700 metres of altitude difference and 7 km of distance. First they ride on a narrow trail along the Fee glacier, which leads them to the panorama hill. For less experienced racers this is a real challenge. The hill is steep and has to be crossed at high speed. On this part of the trail, riders have been measured, per GPS, travelling at speeds of about 144 km/h.
Further down, the ride leads past the restaurant Morenia before entering the Valley run. This is going to be a very exciting part of the race with extremely steep passages, flat transits and narrow curves, and it is a real assessment of the rider and his material. The last part of the ride, a very flat passage, needs strength to be managed. The outcome of the race is often decided during this section of the course.

The helmet and protective gear as well as the wheel disk are obligatory for all participants.

The Glacier Downhill Bike Race will be held in three categories:

Women born in 1999 and before

Men main classe born in 1999 and before

Men senior born in 1982 and before

Shortly before the finish, the route becomes a little steeper. After reaching the desired end of the race, the award ceremony will take place and in the evening the riders party will take place.

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Vail Resorts announced that on Feb. 17, 2017, it entered an agreement to acquire Stowe Mountain Resort from Mt. Mansfield Company, Inc. (MMC), a wholly owned subsidiary of American International Group, Inc. (AIG), for a purchase price of $50 million, subject to certain adjustments. Stowe Mountain Resort will be Vail Resorts’ first mountain resort on the East Coast and complements the Company’s network of 10 world-class mountain resorts and three urban ski areas.
This acquisition brings together Vail Resorts, the world’s leading mountain resort operator, with AIG Global Real Estate (AIGGRE), a best-in-class real estate developer, who share a common vision for the long-term success of Stowe Mountain Resort as the premier, high-end resort for skiers and snowboarders on the East Coast. Vail Resorts is acquiring all of the assets related to the mountain operations of the resort, including base area skier services (food and beverage, retail and rental, lift ticket offices and ski and snowboard school facilities) at Mount Mansfield and Spruce Peak. Other facilities such as the Stowe Mountain Lodge, Stowe Mountain Club, Stowe Country Club and certain real estate owned and held for potential future development will be retained by MMC.

"We’re thrilled to add Stowe Mountain Resort to our family of world-class mountain resorts. With the investments in both mountain infrastructure and base area facilities that AIG has made over the years, Stowe Mountain Resort has become the premier, high-end resort for East Coast skiers and snowboarders. We look forward to working with AIG to continue enhancing the guest experience and to ensure the resort’s long-term success", said Rob Katz, chairman and chief executive officer of Vail Resorts.
Douglas Tymins, president and chief executive officer of AIG Global Real Estate, said, "Under Vail Resorts’ management, Stowe’s reputation as a premier ski destination with a commitment to excellent service will continue to grow. AIGGRE is looking forward to combining Vail Resorts’ tremendous mountain operations capabilities with our continued commitment to the development of the Spruce Peak community".
Stowe Mountain Resort in Stowe, Vt., has a long history of providing outstanding hospitality and adventure for its guests and has reinforced its internationally respected brand with world-class improvements both on and off the mountain. The resort’s newest facilities and improvements include the Spruce Peak Adventure Center, the new Meadows Quad on Spruce Peak, Evolution Stowe’s RFID tickets, passes and gates and the new Shops at Spruce Peak. Spruce Peak also has new high-speed lifts, new base facilities and gourmet restaurants. MMC will retain ownership of the renowned Stowe Mountain Lodge at Stowe Mountain Resort, a 312-room hotel and spa that has already been recognized as one of the greenest and most luxurious mountainside hotels in the world, and additional slopeside real estate opportunities.
This transaction is subject to Vermont administrative review. At closing, the purchase price will be adjusted for certain agreed upon terms, including a reduction (or increase) in the price by the amount that the resort’s EBITDA exceeds capital expenditures for the period from Nov. 1, 2016, through closing. Stowe Mountain Resort is expected to generate incremental annual EBITDA in excess of $5 million in Vail Resorts’ fiscal year ending July 31, 2018.
Operations at the resort for the remainder of the 2016-17 ski season will continue in the ordinary course as will future summer and winter seasonal hiring. Vail Resorts will be retaining the vast majority of the resort’s year-round staff.
Vail Resorts looks forward to integrating Stowe Mountain Resort into its Epic Pass and other season pass products for the 2017-18 winter season, subject to the acquisition closing. With the Epic Pass, Vermont skiers and snowboarders will have unlimited access locally at Stowe at an attractive price as well as the best of the West at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone in Colorado; Park City in Utah; Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood in Tahoe; and Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia, Canada.

Vail Resorts is the leading mountain resort operator in the United States. The Company's subsidiaries operate the mountain resorts of Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone in Colorado; Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood in the Lake Tahoe area of California and Nevada; Park City Mountain Resort and Canyons in Park City, Utah; Afton Alps in Minnesota and Mt. Brighton in Michigan; and the Grand Teton Lodge Company in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The Company's subsidiary, RockResorts, a luxury resort hotel company, manages casually elegant properties. Vail Resorts Development Company is the real estate planning, development and construction subsidiary of Vail Resorts, Inc. Vail Resorts is a publicly held company traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: MTN).

Sunday, February 19, 2017

It was another perfect day of ski racing as the 2017 World Ski Championships in St. Moritz drew to a close with the men’s slalom on Sunday. Austrian superstar Marcel Hirscher claimed his third medal of the Championships and his second gold as he took the race with a two-run time of 1:34.75 seconds, 0.68 seconds ahead of his Austrian teammate Manuel Feller in second. German star Felix Neureuther rounded out the podium in third, 0.93 seconds back.
Not a single cloud in the sky, a compact race track, the best athletes in the world and thousands of spectators; all conditions were gathered for an excellent concluding day at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in St. Moritz. The one that used those conditions the best and claims another World Champion title is Marcel Hirscher. The Austrian was the favourite entering today's slalom and lived up to all the hype to walkaway with two gold (slalom and giant slalom) and a silver (alpine combined) medal.
"It’s perfect", Hirscher said after the race. "Sun is shining, great conditions today and the skiing was in all pretty good. Austria is pretty stoked with another two podiums. The young guns are kicking my ass during the training runs so I am very grateful for this, it has helped me to improve myself every training run".
After the first run, all four Austrian athletes were sitting in the Top 7, with behind Marcel Hirscher Marco Schwarz in second, Michael Matt in third and Manuel Feller in seventh. The good spirit within the Austrian slalom team definitively proved to be prolific, as at the end of the race, it’s a double win for Austria with younggun Manuel Feller holding on to the pressure and earning his first career podium. It’s a relief for Feller, who was barely qualified for the World Championships as he finished only three of the eight World Cup slaloms he participated in this season.
The other surprise of the day came from Felix Neureuther. Not that a podium comes as a surprise for the German, he already won two World Championships medals in slalom and podiumed twice in slalom in this World Cup season, but because he was sitting in eights position after the first run. The experienced German had a sensational second run, which was enough to lift him to the bronze medal. It was the first medal for Germany at these Championships, saving the country from going home from St. Moritz empty handed.

Saturday, February 18, 2017

American Mikaela Shiffrin won the FIS Alpine World Ski Championship slalom gold medal for the third straight time after earning an astonishing 1.64-second victory ahead of Swiss sensation Wendy Holdener. Sweden’s Frida Hansdotter took home the bronze medal 0.11 seconds behind Holdener.
It was Shiffrin’s second medal of these championships here in St. Moritz and the fourth total of her career. She also took the slalom gold in Schladming 2013 and in Vail/Beaver Creek 2015. She was absolutely unstoppable on the second run as she built her lead to more than a second by the third interval, and continued to cruise from there.

With this victory, the American ties Christel Cranz’s record of three consecutive wins in the ladies’ World Championship slalom. Cranz was a German alpine skier who won in 1937, 1938, and 1939–nearly three decades before the inception of the World Cup. Shiffrin also joins the ranks of legends like Sweden’s Ingemar Stenmark, who won three consecutive World slalom titles during his career.
"I didn't see my time until I got all the way through and I knew I had a good run, but I didn't know it was that good until I saw the time", said Shiffrin. "Three medals is great, but today is really special today for me because I finally skied this the way I wanted to and that's what means a lot to me today".
Wendy Holdener was the hero for the Swiss fans, earning the silver medal, her second of these World Championships after she took gold in the alpine combined last week.
"I made a few small mistakes in the second run, so when I heard the speaker say I had the lead I was surprised", said Holdener. "There was no beating Mikaela today, so I’m really happy with the silver medal and these entire World Championships".
Frida Hansdotter now has three medals in the last three World Championship appearances, with one silver and two bronzes.
"It means a lot to me today. I had a lot of pressure so it feels nice to have the medal", said Hansdotter "I've been skiing well the last few years and to get a medal at the last three World Championships is great".

Friday, February 17, 2017

Austrian Marcel Hirscher lived up to the hype on Friday to collect his sixth career medal, third gold and second of the 2017 St. Moritz Ski World Championships winning the Giant Slalom.
Hirscher’s winning time of 2:13.31 bested his compatriot, Roland Leitinger in second, by 0.25 seconds and Norway’s Leif Kristian Haugen finished in third, 0.71 seconds off the pace.

"It took me six years to catch this medal. After Schladming second position and Vail/Beaver Creek second position, now first position, that is not too bad", a relieved Hirscher said after the race. "It was very hard to fight in the second run for every one of us. It was physically one of the toughest races. Crossing the finish line, watching on the screen, my thoughts were, ‘Where’s Pinturault? Where is Schoerghofer? I’m World Champion!’ Then, seeing Roland Leitinger was very unexpected for me, but it was good to have him in this position. It was really great to have another Austrian on the podium".It was the first ever podium of Leitinger's career, whose best World Cup result is sixth in Soelden in 2015. He had yet to crack the top-10 this season.
"It was just an absolutely amazing second run for me", Leitinger said. "I was in the finish area and saw a half-second and was screaming so loud, it was just amazing. I have the speed on my skis now. I’ve already had it the last days in training, so I know if everything is working for me I can do it. Today, World Championships silver medal, everything was perfect for me".The Austrians were joined on the podium by another first-timer, Leif Kristian Haugen of Norway.

"Amazing, it is my first podium and to get it in the world Championships is amazing", said Haugen. "I fought hard, I did everything I could and I was extremely nervous between the runs, but I managed to give it everything I got. I even brought a panel with me on the way down. It’s crazy. I thought it was going to be another fourth. It’s better to think that way and be surprised than expect to medal. So many hours have been put in. Thousands of hours with one of the best alpine teams in the world, and now I’ve pulled it together in two runs".
Haugen finished fourth in the parallel GS earlier this season in Alta Badia and was also fourth in the Kitzbuehel slalom.

There was no shortage of action in the ski men category as Léo Slemett (FRA) edged out fellow Frenchman Loïc Collomb-Patton (FRA) with the judge’s favorite line of the day that started with a 360 at the top of the venue and terminated with a full-throttle double-set air into a stomped backflip.

Thursday, February 16, 2017

France’s Tessa Worley claimed her second gold medal at the 2017 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in St. Moritz when she won today’s Giant Slalom.Worley -the current leader in the World Cup giant slalom standings- won a clear 0.34 seconds ahead of American Mikaela Shiffrin, who took silver, and Italy’s Sofia Goggia, who claimed bronze 0.74 seconds behind the winning time.It was smiles all around for the top three as Worley earned her third individual career World Championship medal, adding to her collection of a previous gold and bronze. Worley was also on the French Team that took gold at the nations team event on Tuesday, bringing her total medal count to four.

"Incredible", said Worley after her victory. "I worked hard all year and had to stay patient. But I knew today could be my day if I gave my best and I was focused completely on winning the gold".
With the silver, Mikaela Shiffrin also earned her third individual World Championship medal adding to her two gold medals from the slalom in Beaver Creek in 2015 and Schladming in 2013.

The American is the first female U.S. skier to land on the podium since Julia Mancuso earned a bronze medal in 2005, and is only the second American to win a World Championship medal in St. Moritz so far.
"Tessa deserves winning this, she’s done so well all season", said Shiffrin. "She had such a big lead after the first run that I knew it would be tough to top. For a bit I thought I had done enough, but it was clear that she was the best today and deserves the gold medal".
Perhaps none of the three was happier than Sofia Goggia, who not only earned her first career World Championship medal but also Italy’s first medal of these World Championships. It was also atonement for Goggia, who finished in fourth place twice in her career at World Championships, including this year’s downhill. As she celebrated in the finish area she simply said, "Finally!"
"It's a great way to end my World Championships", said Goggia. "The speed events were really disappointing for me and I knew today was my last chance to come home with a medal".

The last Italian to earn a medal in a World Championship giant slalom was Federica Brignone, who was second in the 2011 World Championship.

Wednesday, February 15, 2017

After rescheduling the season opener for the 2017 Swatch Freeride World Tour in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc due to snow safety concerns caused by high winds in the French Alps, fifty riders were able to participate in their second event in two weeks at the same ski area in the Pyrenees.

Conditions were challenging for both riders and organizers. Snowfall over the last week brought fresh accumulations to the face and changeable weather resulted in a slight crust forming on the snow surface, making turning conditions variable in some parts of the venue. Despite these challenges and with the aide of the sun which softened the snow during the day, the athletes demonstrated their finest freeriding skills on the Baser Negre venue, situated at 2700m in the Andorran ski resort of Vallnord-Arcalís.

Ski Men

There was no shortage of action in the ski men category as Léo Slemett (FRA) edged out fellow Frenchman Loïc Collomb-Patton (FRA) with the judge’s favorite line of the day that started with a 360 at the top of the venue and terminated with a full-throttle double-set air into a stomped backflip. While many of the top riders landed high amplitude flips and spins, it was Yann Rausis (SUI) that was able land the most impressive upper-venue air which secured him the third place position on the podium.

Ski Women

First place for the ski women was awarded to Lorraine Huber (AUT) for skiing a clean, fast, and feature-packed run involving multiple airs and solid technique. As conditions softened slightly on the face, Kylie Sivell (CAN) stomped a powerful and consistent run down the venue, putting her in second. Jaclyn Paaso (USA) earned third place.

Snowboard Men

Snowboard men opened the day and perhaps no one rode better in the category than Jonathan Penfield (USA), who was nudged into fourth place after his stunning line featuring creative transfers succumbed to a mid-venue fall. First place was awarded to Christoffer Granbom (SWE) for his fluid run that seemed to touch on all of the finest features of the face. Sammy Luebke (USA) earned second place with Davey Baird (USA) on third place.

Snowboard Women

The next category to explore the day’s evolving conditions were the snowboard women, a group topped by powerful riding from Marion Haerty (FRA), who was able to hold a strong line featuring airs that earned her first place. Shannan Yates (USA) takes second place. Manuela Mandi (AUT) earned third place.

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

France earned its first medal at the 2017 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships today when the team of Tessa Worley, Mathieu Faivre, Alexis Pinturault, Julien Lizeroux, Nastasia Noens and Adeline Baud Mugnier earned the gold medal at the Nations Team Event in St. Moritz.
France edged surprise finalist Slovakia in the last round. The silver medal was the first-ever for Slovakia in a Nations Team Event and while it was a surprise to many, the Slovakian team was very strong and included Veronika Velez Zuzlova, Adam Zampa, Adreas Zampa, Tereza Jancova, Matej Falat and Petra Vlhova.

"I feel like we won the gold today" said Velez Zuzulova after the race. "We have never won a medal, and I personally have never won a World Championship medal so I’m really happy with how we as a team did today and that we get to stand on the podium".
Earning the bronze medal was Sweden, who faced-off against the host Swiss in the small final. The Swiss were looking for their seventh medal of these championships, but were cleanly swept by the Swedes, who are traditionally strong in the Nations Team Event. Today’s bronze was the country’s fifth medal in the event. They now have two silver medals and three bronze.
Every round produced at least one upset. In the first round, Slovakia set the tone, ousting Germany. In the second round, it was Sweden’s turn to provide the upset as they sent the Austrian team packing. Norway also fell to France in the second round, while the Slovaks continued to cruise, topping Italy.
In the semi-finals, Slovakia edged Switzerland in a tight duel, while the French edged the Swedes to make the finals.
"It was a challenge the whole day", said France’s Tessa Worley. "We had to fight against Sweden in the semi-finals and also the final was pretty close. We didn’t know this morning what our chances were, so to take away the gold medal is great. We are all very happy".
Today’s medals were the first for all three nations at this year’s World Championship, bringing the total number of nations to earn a medal so far to 10.

The Swiss had another amazing day at the 2017 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships after Luca Aerni earned the alpine combined gold medal. His teammate Mauro Caviezel took home the bronze medal, bringing the medal tally for the host nation to six in as many races.
Luca Aerni, who was named as the last Swiss racer for the alpine combined team just last night, finished in 30th place in the downhill run, making him the first starter for the slalom run. He clocked the fastest time of the day in the slalom, although did not know if his run would hold off the top names like Marcel Hirscher and Alexis Pinturault and had to sit through the entire field waiting in the leader box.
But one-by-one his competition came down and could not best the young Swiss ace. Hirscher missed the mark by the smallest of all possible margins, 0.01 seconds, taking home the silver medal. Swiss teammate Mauro Caviezel, meanwhile, also came very close, ending just 0.06 seconds off the golden pace for the bronze.
"I was really nervous the last 45 minutes waiting for everyone to finish", said Aerni. "I could only watch and hope as the others came down. I knew my slalom run was good, but with the combined you never know what will happen. It was definitely a long wait until I realized I had the gold medal".
Although Hirscher had to settle for second place for the tenth time this season, the living legend was happy with a silver medal after battling through a couple days of sickness.
"After two days lying in bed, it is pretty impressive to myself that I am on the podium in this super combined", he said. "And for sure, downhill was a very big challenge for a slalom skier, but on the other hand it was a lot of fun to do these jumps, to improve yourself, to learn a little more about downhill, and many of you know, this was already my tenth second place so far this season and always very close decisions, so it was a little bit nerve-wracking if you see crossing the finish line one hundredth of a second behind. And I exactly knew the conditions will play in our hands because the conditions were really soft already with the first number, so we knew it can be our day".
Mauro Caviezel even surprised himself with his performance, especially in the slalom portion, since he knew that many very good slalom skiers were running before him in the second run.

"It feels very good", the Swiss athlete said. "I couldn’t expect it after the downhill, so I’m just glad and really, really happy today. The difficult thing was the slalom because of the conditions and I’m not a slalom specialist. I knew that I had to go all in and now I’m really happy that it happened"-The three medalists were also the three racers with the best slalom times. Hirscher was 28th after the downhill and Caviezel was 14th.
It was the first medal for both of the Swiss skiers, who also both have never earned a podium place in the World Cup. It was Hirscher’s fifth career World Championship medal, as he now has three silvers and two golds.

Sunday, February 12, 2017

Switzerland found its speed power again as Beat Feuz won the Downhill at the 2017 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in St. Moritz with a winning time of 1:38.91 seconds. Beat Feuz was joined on the podium by Canadian Erik Guay (+ 0.12) and Austrian Max Franz (+ 0.37).
The race was a thriller, with the lead constantly changing hands and racers edging each other by razor-thin margins. The 50,000 fans were biting their nails as Feuz came down at each interval in the green. They had to continue to sit on the edge of their seats as several racers came close to dethroning Feuz, but ultimately could not spoil the fairytale.

"To win this gold medal at home in front of Swiss fans, I couldn’t have asked for anything more", said Feuz after the race. "It was a close race today and anyone could have taken the win, but I’m really happy that it’s me to win the gold".
It was the fifth medal of the World Championships for the host nation as the Swiss speed team has lived up to all expectations in the first five races in St. Moritz. For Feuz, it was his second World Championship medal after earning the downhill bronze in 2015 in Beaver Creek.
Erik Guay ended these World Championships with a gold and a silver medal – a major surprise for the Canadian team, which now has three medals in St. Moritz.
"I get to walk away from these World Championships with a gold and a silver medal which is more than I could have every hoped for", said Guay. "I’m just over the moon with how everything worked out, and I can go home very happy".
It was Franz’s first World Championship medal and he was happy to bring home the second medal of the day after Stephanie Venier earned the ldaies’ downhill silver earlier in the day.

"Everything worked well for me today", said Franz. "When I came down and crossed the finish and saw that I was in third, I was surprised. It’s great to take home a medal from this race".

Ilka Stuhec's domination in Downhill continues. The Slovenian wins the Downhill Race at the 2017 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in St. Moritz with a winning time of 1:32.85 seconds.
Following Stuhec in second place (+0.40 sec) was Stephanie Venier from Austria. It is the third medal for the Austrian Ladies Team. Lindsey Vonn (+0.45 sec) finished in third place. She has now finished on the podium seven times.

During the flower ceremony, an emotional Stuhec kneeled before the podium as if trying to fully comprehend the importance of what she’d just accomplished and show respect for the World Champion title.

"I tried to hold back my emotions, but now they are just coming out, so I guess I will be crying for the rest of the day", she said.
The Slovenian is relatively new to the podium at this level of ski racing. She won her first World Cup this season in Lake Louise, Canada.
A World Championships rookie, Stephanie Venier landed her first World Championships medal with a smoking fast run. This marks the 40th World Championships downhill podium for the Austrians.
"I think it was a good run, and I was faster than in the trainings, and the jumps were very big, and I knew that I was fast and now I’m very happy", Venier said.
Lindsey Vonn, who was no doubt hoping to win, rounded out the podium. This is Vonn’s seventh World Championships and seventh World Championship medal. She has podiumed in each World Championships since 2007 aside from 2013 when she suffered a knee injury in the Schladming World Championships super-G.

"It’s amazing", Vonn said excitedly. "I’m so happy. This is the happiest I’ve ever been to be third place in my life. Today, I just did my best. You know, I fought really hard from top to bottom. I know I can ski better, but I think considering my preparation and my hand, my arm, I think today feels like a gold medal. I’m the oldest female medalist ever, and I think that’s the best news I’ve heard all day".

The first place position on the podium was reserved for Drew Tabke (USA), who made the venue his easel as he painted a fantastically artistic line down the face starting with a massive and committing air to an improbably relaxed backflip.

Friday, February 10, 2017

The Swiss ladies’ team continued to shine at the 2017 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in St. Moritz as Wendy Holdener and Michelle Gisin took home the gold and silver medals on today’s alpine combined.. Austria’s Michaela Kirchgasser earned the bronze medal.It was the third medal for the Swiss women in just the first two events of these World Championships. For both Holdener and Gisin, it was their first career World Championship medals. Kirchgasser now has one silver and two bronze World Championship medals in her collection.

"It's a dream", said Holdener. "I didn't think my slalom run would be enough to hold on for the gold when I came down. But after Michelle skied down, I knew I had a medal and then I watched as the last few had to start. It's still unbelievable for me".
This is Holdener’s fourth World Championships and first podium. Holdener appeared to be overjoyed to share the podium with her teammate. The pair could barely stop hugging and smiling.
St. Moritz is Gisin’s third World Championships and the alpine combined is her first ever World Championship medal. She has only podiumed in one World Cup, the 2016 alpine combined in Val d’Isere, France.
"There were doubts, there were a lot of nerves; I didn’t sleep a lot last night", Gisin said. "I woke up at five and tried to stay calm, but it was so difficult. Now it’s done, and I haven’t realized it yet, and it’s just amazing to have a double podium with Wendy. Could it get any better and more amazing in front of the home crowd? I don’t think so. We were on the podium together a long, long time ago at a national race for kids; I remember meeting Wendy there for the first time, we’ve been through a lot since then".
St. Moritz marks Kirchgasser’s sixth World Championships, and this result is a repeat of her performance in the alpine combined at the Vail/Beaver Creek World Championships in 2015.
"It’s crazy", the Austrian said. "I mean after the downhill, I knew it would be really challenging, and then, I just made the mistake at the third and fourth gate and I was like ‘I have to push now".
Despite the huge medal success, the Swiss suffered a major blow today when Lara Gut was injured during warm-up between the two runs. Gut, who already earned a bronze medal in the super-G here in St. Moritz, was flown to Chur for further evaluation. She has been diagnosed with a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament and a meniscus lesion.

Thursday, February 9, 2017

The 2017 edition is the third time the SWATCH FREERIDE WORLD TOUR makes its appearance in Vallnord-Arcalís (Andorra).

Freeride fans were finally treated to a phenomenal show today on the explosive first stop of the 2017 Swatch Freeride World Tour. Competitors gave it their all as the fifty-two riders made their way to the Pyrenean freeride capital for an action-packed competition on the feature-dense Serra de Balma venue.Technical riding defined today’s event on the competition face situated at 2450m – known by riders as “Smoothy’s Garden” in honor of Sam Smoothy’s 2015 groundbreaking run – and located within the Vallnord-Arcalís resort.The five-hundred vertical meter venue benefited from a multitude of line options, from powerful straightlines to technical cliff sections, with a gentle yet playful runout zone. Tumultuous weather over the past week deposited fresh snow in the Pyrenees, with brilliant blue skies finally making an appearance for competition day and offering optimal riding conditions for competitors.

Ski Men

The first place position on the podium was reserved for Drew Tabke (USA), who made the venue his easel as he painted a fantastically artistic line down the face starting with a massive and committing air to an improbably relaxed backflip. Kristofer Turdell (SWE) discovered a bold and powerful double-air which he capped with an impressive line and riding style, earning him second place. Perhaps the most full-throttle line of the day is credited to Spaniard favorite Aymar Navarro (ESP) as he pulled off a large air at the top of the venue that he transformed into a highly technical double-hit.

Ski Women

Arianna Tricomi (ITA) demonstrated a mastery that no other female skier could match with a powerful line that integrated more airs than any other skier in the field, earning her first place. Jaclyn Paaso (USA) combined commitment and power into her line but was not able to clinch the first place position due to some minor technical errors. Opening her line with a demanding air that she then combined with impressive riding, Kylie Sivell (CAN) earned third place.

Snowboard Men

Sammy Luebke (USA) earned first place by taking every opportunity to grab his board and throw impressive spins, all while integrating his patented “snowboarder’s” style. Thomas Feurstein (AUT) edged into second place with an impressive line featuring two three-sixty degree spins and precise riding. Despite a biking injury over the summer, Ralph Backstrom (USA) initiated his line in a committing section of the rider’s right side of the venue, taking third place.

Snowboard WomenAnne-Flore Marxer (SUI) earned the win by taking advantage of the phenomenal conditions and selecting an aesthetic line complimented with several well-landed airs. Commitment was the theme of Nicola Thost’s (GER) second-place run which featured the biggest airs of the day in the category but was marred by a moment of loose riding. The calculated and methodical line of Mikaela Hollsten (FIN) earned her third place with a run that was defined by consistency.

Wednesday, February 8, 2017

Erik Guay took Gold on the Men's Super-G during the second day of racing at the 2017 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in St. Moritz. Guay’s winning time of 1:25.38 bested Norwegian Kjetil Jansrud by 0.45 seconds and was 0.51 seconds better than Osborne-Paradis.
Wednesday’s result gave Canada its first multiple podium finish since 1982 when Gerry Sorensen finished first and Laurie Graham third in the women’s downhill in Grindelwald, Switzerland.
After walking away from a terrifying crash two weeks ago in Garmisch, Germany, Guay was happy to just be healthy and competing in St. Moritz. Wednesday’s win is Guay’s second career World Championship title, as the Canadian Cowboy also won the 2011 downhill gold in Garmisch, Germany. Guay is also now the oldest World Champion ever at 35 years old.
"Before I saw the green light, I crossed the line and I saw the crowd react", Guay said. "I saw everybody stand up and cheer, so I knew that something good just happened. When I sort of turned sideways and saw the green light by 45-hundredths in front of Jansrud it was incredible ‘cause he’s such an incredible skier and dominating super-G, so I was quite emotional actually. I’m glad I had goggles on so nobody could see my eyes".
Although Kjetil Jansrud has been the man to beat this season in super-G, the Attacking Viking was pleased to walk away with a silver medal, especially since he has been battling a bit of sickness since the beginning of the week.

"I always want to aim for the gold, but I think Erik today showed us how it’s supposed to be done, and it’s very impressive", a gracious Jansrud said. "I’m not feeling any disappointment over that. I’m very happy with the silver. Been struggling a little bit with the preparation coming into the World Champs with a little sickness and you know, for me, it’s a perfect day and I’m looking forward for downhill".
Manuel Osborne-Paradis admitted that his performance might not have been possible if not for the emotional boost he got from watching his teammate go into the lead. The cherry on top, however, was this result came on his 33rd birthday and was his first super-G podium since winning in Lake Louise in 2009.

"I figured with a later number that I would have to have a good one", he explained. "I was skiing really well. Skiing my line. Had one little mistake in the middle, and mistakes happen when you’re givin’ ‘er, so whatever. What can you do? It just all worked out. It feels so good. I mean I feel bad that we’re doing interviews and I haven’t seen my serviceman, I haven’t seen my coaches. I think it’s my serviceman’s first podium ever, World Cup or World Champs or anything, so I’m super excited for him. It’s just so good to share it with Erik. For him to be the winner, I mean, I think I was able to get third today because he won. I was so jazzed in the start. I had so much more energy. It was pretty cool".

Tuesday, February 7, 2017

Austrian Nicole Schmidhofer took Gold on the Women's Super-G during the first day of racing at the 2017 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in St. Moritz. With a time of 1:21.24. Running bib 8, she swooped in to beat Liechtenstein’s Tina Weirather by 0.33 seconds and Switzerland’s Lara Gut by 0.38 seconds, who ended up in second and third place, respectively.
Schmidhofer underwent surgery for an ACL and meniscus tear just over a year ago, and has only two World Cup podium finishes to her name. It was quite a comeback for the Austrian, who was clearly overcome with emotion, breaking into tears during the podium ceremony.
"It’s really amazing; it’s unbelievable", she exclaimed. "I saw the course and thought, ‘Yeah, this could be good for me,’ and I knew that Lara went before me, so I thought that if I go for the finish, it will be for second place, maybe a medal. When I crossed the finish and it was green, I thought, ‘Yeah! That will be a medal!’ It was not important to me which one, and now it’s a gold medal, and that’s unbelievable".
For Tina Weirather, the result was a career milestone, her best World Championship result ever. Up until Tuesday, her best result was a fourth place in the 2015 World Championship giant slalom.
"I am very happy. It took me quite a while to accomplish this", she said. "I’ve never had good luck in events like that. I was injured before Vancouver and Sochi and missed a medal by six hundredths in Beaver Creek, and so every time I went to a World Championships, something crazy happened. So, obviously, the pressure got more and more with every time I went to a World Championships, and today, the pressure was enormous, but I was still able to do a great race and it, of course, makes me really proud".
Tina Weirather was happy to share the podium with Schmidhofer, a reunion from 10 years ago when they shared the podium at World Junior Championships. Weirather has also had a long relationship with the third-place finisher.
In third was Lara Gut, adding to her collection of top three results. The Swiss athlete now has five World Championship podium finishes to her name, but has never won a World Championship event. While a win would have been the best case scenario, a podium in front of a home crowd feels pretty good.

"In the end, I go on the slope and try to do my best, and I can’t do anything more than that", Gut said. "It was a little bit weird today; I couldn’t really ski the way I wanted. The snow was different than I expected. I had a little bit of a fight on the slope, so in the end it’s really great to have a medal. I think it was really important everyone, for the home fans and the team, to have something. I can build on that, and I’ll try to ski faster for the next one".

Monday, February 6, 2017

The show called "Magic Snow – The Birth of a Passion" created by Freddy Burger Management in Zurich, was all about snow and winter sports.

The 2017 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in St. Moritz are scheduled from February 6-19. The event is expected to showcase 589 athletes, from 76 different countries, along with an onsite media and broadcast entourage of approximately 1,500 members. An international television audience approaching 750 million people will watch the two weeks of racing and festivities.

The Swatch Freeride World Tour (FWT) is the premier big mountain freeskiing and snowboarding tour in the world, featuring the sport’s top athletes competing in the world’s best mountain resorts. Created in 2008, the FWT became even more global in 2012 following the union of North American-based Freeskiing World Tour, The North Face Masters of Snowboarding, and the European-based Swatch Freeride World Tour. Besides the successful implementation of this truly global FWT, the increase of Freeride World Qualifier (FWQ) and Junior Freeride Tour events in recent years shows that the base of the sport is growing exponentially.The FWT represents top-level big mountain riding, the most progressive and pure discipline of skiing and snowboarding. Riders use the entire mountain as their canvas, from cliffs, cornices and chutes to powder fields and trees. FWT events have invitation-only athlete rosters but the full FWQ series allows athletes to compete in 1 to 4-star level events and qualify for the FWT the following season. All FWT competition venues are handpicked for their terrain, as well as their steepness, and offer a wide range of options to those competing.

Henrik Kristoffersen Was born on July 2, 1994, in Lørenskog in Akershus county. He made his World Cup debut March 2012 in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, and attained his first podium in November 2013, a third-place finish in slalom at Levi, Finland.

At the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Kristoffersen won the bronze medal in slalom at Rosa Khutor at age 19 to become the youngest male medalist in Olympic alpine skiing history.In 2016, Kristoffersen is the first to win the four classic slalom races in Adelboden, Wengen, Kitzbühel and Schladming in the same season.He is the Norwegian with most Slalom FIS World Cup wins of all time.

Mikaela Shiffin will be just 22 years old in March. This is something that is easily forgotton when reading her balance sheet: 28 World Cup victories, 2 World Championships titles and 1 Olympic gold medal. In Maribor Shiffrin matches Ingemar Stenmark’s record of 27 wins before the age of 22. She also matches American Phil Mahre, putting her in third place for all-time wins among U.S. skiers, men and women.

Specializing in the technical events of Slalom and Giant Slalom in 2016 season she started to compete in Super-G and Combined. Finally, on December 2, 2016 she debuted in a Downhill race in Lake Louise and finished 18th. Shiffrin is the youngest slalom champion in Olympic alpine skiing history, at 18 years and 345 days.

She won the Slalom World Cup title three times (2013, 2014 and 2015).Mikaela Shiffrin is now in the lead in the Overall standings with 1203 points, followed by Lara Gut with 1023 points.

Schladming 2013 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships Slalom 1st(Shiffrin became the third youngest woman to ever win a slalom World Championship and youngest American to win any title since 17-year-old Diann Roffe won gold in giant slalom in 1985. She’s also the first American to win a Championship or Olympic slalom since Barbara Cochran won at the 1972 Olympics and World Championships in Sapporo, Japan).

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Personal Details

Raul Revuelta is an internationally recognized public speaker, author, professor and tourism consultant.
"I hold a Doctorate in Geography and History from Madrid’s Complutense University together with a Master in Human Resources, specialized in Quality Management. In recent years my career and teaching and research work has centered around two areas: on the one hand, the integration of the principles of quality and sustainability in tourism, and on the other, sports and adventure tourism, with a special focus on the management of ski and mountain resorts.
I spend my spare time enjoying mountains and nature in general, but my biggest passion by far is skiing".